STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf is due to undergo “surgery” next week and will postpone his planned engagement in late February, the Royal Swedish Court announced on Tuesday.
The surgery in the “heart area” will be performed by “so-called keyhole surgery,” the court said in a statement, without elaborating further.
It added that the decision was made on the advice of the 76-year-old king’s personal physician.
“A period of rest is recommended following the procedure. This means that the King’s official duties scheduled between February 20th and March 3rd will be postponed until the end of spring.” the court said.
“The King is in good physical condition and the official program leading up to the day of surgery is proceeding as planned,” it added.
This year, His Majesty the Emperor will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his accession to the throne.
Born on April 30, 1946, Carl Gustav Folke Hubertus Bernadotte was just nine months old when his father, Prince Gustav Adolf, died in a plane crash in Denmark.
He ascended the throne in 1973 after the death of his grandfather, Gustavus VI Adolf.